With all these angles to think about, I have had to reevaluate what my future career choices may be once graduated from college. Until a year ago, I was set on journalist. If I would continue this, I would be going into print newspapers or print magazines. More than likely, I would also be writing for online. A journalist’s work goes beyond interviewing, however. They have to know how to organize a story and often some stories come right under deadline. I’d be working in all weather conditions, interviewing all different kinds of people, and there would be the great chance I might get to travel if I get onto a beat. I’m torn with this, though, because news writing is starting not to interest me as much. Also, print journalism is being pushed out the door by online and digital reporting. If I focus my concentration on writing, I may not have a job in two years when I leave school.

Option number two falls back onto my web design experience. It wasn’t long before I got used to Mac computers and all the Adobe software. In Journalism, we use primarily InDesign and Photoshop. Very rarely do we use anything else, and my skills on both are building as I work on student publications. I have been a page designer for the school’s newspaper for the past year, and I plan on continuing this throughout school. My strongest skills are in computers, word processing and design. While I could probably pick up my web design if I had to, I’d rather have a job as a page designer for a magazine. While newspapers may go out, I believe magazines will always be there. Page designers also copy edit and proofread the pages before they go to the printer. I’m in the process of sharpening these skills to better my journalist techniques.

My third career option would be a researcher. I can locate just about any source in the library or on the Internet. I really enjoy searching for facts and getting my nails dirty under piles of information. It’s just a skill I have always learned and perfected. Becoming a journalist is helping me to sharpen this skill, to ask better questions, and to undercover new areas of where I can find the information I need. The downfall to this is, I don’t think I could be happy doing it the rest of my life. I would learn a lot about everything, and meet lots of people, but it’s a office job. I would be surrounded by paperwork on a daily  basis, be stressed out, and not be able to see the people I love.

Fourth, I would like to be a travel agent. I researched the last trip I took to Vegas with my friends and put it in a book for our flight. I found just about everything we might need, and they really appreciated it. It was months of work to find restaurants, hotels and attractions. When the big day came, I blew them away with my research skills. If I combine these with my computer skills, I think I would have a winning combination. However, I’m not sure how to pursue this career choice. It’s not a major, or even minor, at my university. Someday when I have freetime I’m going to have to look into it.

Finally, I would like a chance to become a photographer. Last semester I told my counselor I would like to focus on writing/design. This summer, after all my Vegas pictures, I have changed my mind and will be talking to him again. There’s only a few photography classes I’d have to take, and I can probably take them with my design classes. I think this would become beneficial as I get into the workforce as a journalist, researcher, or whatever path I choose into my future. I can be creative when I want to be, and given the opportunity I can take great pictures. I’m so lost right now on which path I need to choose. I have two years left, so I still have plenty of time.